Cabayawasan Project - A Road Toward Indigenous Cultural Community (ICC) Development - Building Lives For Better Future PDF

9/4/2019 Cabayawasan Project: A Road Toward Indigenous Cultural Community (ICC) Development – Building Lives for Better Future
Check out our Magazine
Friday, April 12, 2019
Cabayawasan Project: A Road Toward

Indigenous Cultural Community (ICC)
Development
Cabayawasan is one of the nine sitios of Barangay (Brgy.) San Felipe East, San Nicolas,
Pangasinan, Philippines. Sitio, from Spanish word, is a hamlet or subdivision of a barangay
while a barangay, a village, is the smallest political and administrative division of a town. From
the town proper, Brgy. San Felipe East is located 12 kilometers away. From Sitio Lagpan , which
is located at the foot of the mountain, to Sitio Cabayawasan, it is more or less 4 kilometers due
to its winding trails in the mountain.
Sitio Cabayawasan, also known as Kabayabasan, is the ancestral domain of the Ibaloi Tribe.
This sitio is also named Kabayabasan due to the abundance of “bayabbas” in the place, an
Ibaloi term for guava.
Cabayawasan as Ancestral Domain
By virtue of Republic Act No. 8371, otherwise known as “The Indigenous Peoples’ Right Act of
1997, the Ibaloi Tribe generally holds the Indigenous Cultural Community/ Indigenous Peoples’
(ICC/IPs’) private but communal property which belongs to all generations and shall not be sold,
disposed nor destroyed.
Reaching the Place
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This place can be reached by a single motor bike called enduro or by foot. If you ride in a single
motor bike, it will only take you there for at least 30 minutes en route the dangerous and winding
trails. The road is uneven, with furrows at the middle. The surface of the road has scattered
stones on the road surface and even protruding sharp stones at the middle of the road or side
road. You feel the adrenaline rush when the single motor bike takes the uphill climb and sharp
curves of the road. And most of all, take the ride without a helmet!
By foot, you can reach this place en route the old foot trails for less than two hours; however,
precaution is needed as you might slip from the 50-feet cliff if out-balanced. While taking this
route, you will fall in love with nature. You can pass through century-old trees and view of the
forest at the other side of the mountain.
Infrastructure for Basic Services Still Needed
For years, this place has been taken for granted as evidence of their recent connection of
electricity only in 2017, no street lights, no cemented road but only a few meters of scattered
cemented pathways for motor bikes only, no barangay hall, no health center, no school canteen
and only a couple of small stores exist that can’t even supply the basic needs of the whole
community.
Livelihood
Based from the survey conducted in December 2018, 82.14% or majority of the Ibaloi families
are engaged in farming. They plant rice, string beans, pechay, gabi or taro, sweet potatoes,
yams, cassava, eggplant, tomatoes, pepper, bananas, and the like. The rest of the occupation
they are engaged into are construction working, driving, laborer, and fishing.
Cabayawasan Elementary School: Its History, Human Resources, Operation and Structural Set
Up
Today, Cabayawasan Elementary School (CES) has offered six grade levels in 2004 with multi-
grade level teaching approach. The school has no school canteen that can cater the snacks and
lunch of the pupils. It has no library since the start of its operation. The school has no capacity
to procure books , references, electric fans for each room, new chairs, and other needs.
With regard to the health condition and nutritional status of the pupils, the school has no clinic
and medical supplies. Medical team from the Division Office rarely comes to visit this school to
check the medical and nutritional status of the pupils.
As to diet of the pupils, based from the survey conducted in December 2018, majority of the
pupils eat rice and vegetables for their lunch every day. Some pupils eat rice and salt only.
The Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) of the school are only good enough
for their electrical bills and school supplies. The monthly MOOE given by the Department of
Education (DepEd) depend on the number of population. Since the population of CES is only 56
pupils at the moment, their MOOE are just minimal.
The official miscellaneous fees of the pupils are paid by their respective advisers as the parents
of the pupils have no capacity to pay their financial obligation in school due to financial
constraints and irregular monthly income.
High School Education
Sitio Cabayawasan offers no high school. The graduates of Cabayawasan Elementary School
have to continue their secondary education in the lowland. The nearest high school is the San
Felipe Integrated School which is more or less 6 kilometers away from Sitio Cabayawasan. It
takes more than an hour-walk. The school has no quarters for Ibaloi students to stay for the
whole week. Thus, it is not practical for their children to study.
The preferred high school among the Ibaloi students of Sitio Cabayawasan is the San Isidro
National High School., Brgy. San Isidro, San Nicolas, Pangasinan. Mr. Jesus M. Lucas, Jr.,
Principal of this school, has given them the about-to-demolish old building for all the IP students
to stay. He fought for the non-demolition of the said old building. Only accommodation is given
to them and their daily food provisions nor school supplies are not included. All these IP
students bring their own weekly supplies of rice, vegetables, beans, and some canned goods.
Their weekly allowance ranges from Php 50.00 ($1.00) to Php 200.00 ($4.00) only. During
weekends or Friday afternoon after their class, they go home to Sitio Cabayawasan by foot.
Most of them walk from Brgy. San Isidro to Sitio Cabayawasan. It takes them more than two-
hour walk.
Demographic Profile of Ibaloi Parents
Occupational Status
Majority of the Ibaloi parents or 96.42 are unstable with two permanent positions as teachers.
Average Monthly
From the survey conducted in December 2018, most of them are farmers. They have no regular
income. Most families or 53.57% . of them earn an income of Php 500.00 (roughly $10.00) a
month.
Educational Background of Parents in the Community
Elementary Education
At the beginning when elementary school was established in 1980, only Grade IV levels were
offered. To finish their elementary grades, they had to walk at least more than an hour in the
lowland in order to continue their studies every day. Twenty nine (29) or 53.70% of the parents
were elementary graduates and 25 or 46.30 % of them were elementary undergraduate.
Secondary Education
Based from the parents who were surveyed, only eight (8) or 14.81% of the parents graduated
from high school, six (6) parents were undergraduate while 38 or 70.37% did not continue their
secondary education due to poverty and long distance of the nearby high school downhill.
College Education
Out of these high school graduates, three (3) finished their college degree. They were able to
finish their studies with the help of their family members, relatives, and people whom they asked
for financial support and scholarship grant by National Commission on Indigenous Peole
(NCIP).
BLBF Memorandum of Agreement with Sitio Cabayawasan
Initially, the Director and member-volunteers of Building Lives for Better Future (BLBF)
Community Development & Extension Services Department have been conducting their
quarterly community service for School Year, 2018-2019. For every quarter, the team has
brought school supplies-pad papers, crayons, pencils, plastic envelopes, slippers and white t-
shirts for the 56 pupils and 18 preparatory pupils of Department of Social Welfare and
Development. School-based Memorandum of Agreement has been signed between BLBF and
the School Head of Cabayawasan Elementary School.
March 20, 2019 was the day that brought hope to the Ibaloi Tribal Community of Sitio
Cabayawasan. This was the day when Building Lives for Better Future (BLBF) signed a
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the community leaders of Sitio Cabayawasan,
barangay chairman of Brgy. San Felipe East, and municipal mayor of the Municipality of San
Nicolas, Pangasinan, Philippines for three (3) School Years, 2018-2021 and shall be renewable
after this memorandum expires.
Cabayawasan Projects
1. Scholarship Grants to Ibaloi Pupils
Such grants include provision of school supplies at the beginning of school year: bags,
umbrellas, shoes and uniforms. For their quarterly provision: pad papers, crayons and pencils/
ballpens. For daily provision: lunch and snacks.
2. Livelihood Training Center
There is a need for the construction of Livelihood Training Center in the community where
livelihood trainings will be conducted, such as basket weaving and other souvenir items that can
be sold locally or for export. This center can serve as drop point for vegetable and farm
products of the whole community.
3. Green Revolution Program
Sitio Cabayawasan is an ideal site for home gardening and communal gardening. The
community can a lot a portion of their ancestral domain for planting seasonal crops, vegetables,
and citrus plants. Water supply is not a problem as there is continuous supply of water from the
mountain. Only pipe lines are needed to purchase for watering purposes.
If this Green Revolution Program will fully implemented, it will also be converted as Agri-Tourism
site where tourists, students, teachers, farmers, and organic farming enthusiasts will have a
view of the nature in the caring hands of the Ibaloi people in this vibrant community.
4. Maintenance of the Tramline System
Tramline System was set up in 2015 but only operational in 2016. After a few months of
operation, it has ceased to operate since 2017 due to damaged parts of the machine that
propelled the steel cables. This Tramline System was the project of the Department of
Agriculture (DA) through the Agriculture and Fishery Modernization Program (AFMP) in order to
haul the agricultural products from Cabayawasan to the station which is located at the top of the
nearby mountain or vice versa. The Barangay Government nor the Local Government of San
Nicolas has no budget allocation for its maintenance.
Since 2017, the Ibaloi residents have to manually carry their produce (rice, vegetables, fruits
and root crops) in a distance of more or less 4 kilometers en route the winding trails from the
mountain top to the foothill. If repaired, it will be a great relief to all the residents of
Cabayawasan.
5. Construction of Community Road
The community road, from the foothill up to the mountain, is not safe for the single motor bike
driver and his passenger. The road is dangerous with its sharp curves and scattered rocks all
over the surface. During rainy season, the road serves as waterways of running water coming
from the mountain creating deep furrows later. After the rain, mud covers road also due to
landslide. Only a parcel of cemented pathways has been constructed. For now, BLBF has
donated cements for the construction of at least additional 70-meter cemented pathway in
critical areas of the road. If nobody will help them, it will take many years before a cemented
road will be finally realized for the people of Cabayawasan. But for now, enjoy your adrenaline
rush when riding in a single motor bike, minus a helmet on the road!
For many years, Sitio Cabayawasan has been taken for granted. Nobody has noticed its
potential to grow as a model community, not until one day BLBF has found its way, not by
chance but by God’s grace and will, amidst the shy and simple Ibaloi peole living the outskirt of
San Nicolas, Pangasinan, Philippines.
Your help is needed. Together, we build a community. Together, we build their future!
“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much”-Helen Keller.
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9/4/2019 Cabayawasan Project: A Road Toward Indigenous Cultural Community (ICC) Development – Building Lives for Better Future

Check out our Magazine

Friday, April 12, 2019

Cabayawasan Project: A Road Toward

Cabayawasan as Ancestral Domain

Reaching the Place

Infrastructure for Basic Services Still Needed

High School Education

Demographic Profile of Ibaloi Parents

Educational Background of Parents in the Community

BLBF Memorandum of Agreement with Sitio Cabayawasan

1. Scholarship Grants to Ibaloi Pupils

2. Livelihood Training Center

3. Green Revolution Program

4. Maintenance of the Tramline System

5. Construction of Community Road

“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much”-Helen Keller.

BLBF scholars top Grad & Moving-Up Rites 2019

Cabayawasan Project: A Road Toward Indigenous Cultural Community (ICC) Development

BLBF adopts Ibaloi Tribal Community

BLBF Holds Successful Twin Events

BLBF Conducts Third Quarter Community Service

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